NEWS: French Tabloid Takes Aim at the U.S.

A new French tabloid "L'Anti-American" has hit the streets in France. Started after U.S. President George Bush's re-election, the paper offers a
unflattering, often tongue in cheek look at America. Topics such as fast food to the detention centers in Guantanamo Bay.

www.sfgate.com
Forget about all that trans-Atlantic talk of kiss-and-make-up following the "Freedom Fries"-era disagreements between France and the United States.
There's a new tabloid on Paris newsstands offering an alternate take: "L'Anti-American."
The cheeky newspaper's editor-in-chief says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice can have a free issue of the satirical monthly when she's in Paris
next week.

She'll need to have packed her sense of humor. This month's issue features an entry in a bogus George W. Bush diary that reads: "Ask the CIA: Where's
China?"

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Its not surprising that such a move would happen and the web is rife with sites from both points of view. The publisher insists that his magazine is
not anti-American, but rather anti-Bush, but there is simply more to it than that. There has been a simmering resentment brewing in both countries and
the Iraq war simply provided the energy to bring it to a boil. Despite the "lets kiss and make up" face that the politicians are putting forth,
serious harm has been done in both countries, and the lingering resentment will be with us for some time.

Well I guess I would be pretty mad at the US to if I told them not to go into Iraq and they found official government documents linking me to illigal
dealings with Saddahm and the fact that Iwould be out of Billions of dollars owed to me by Iraq that I would never see because of the ragiem change.

Originally posted by bpletcj
Well I guess I would be pretty mad at the US to if I told them not to go into Iraq and they found official government documents linking me to illigal
dealings with Saddahm and the fact that Iwould be out of Billions of dollars owed to me by Iraq that I would never see because of the ragiem
change.

You got it right. But some in here don't see that...

What i am wondering is...how in the heck do French people stand each other's stink inside an office....they only bath once a month, if they bath at
all....

Originally posted by bpletcj
Well I guess I would be pretty mad at the US to if I told them not to go into Iraq and they found official government documents linking me to illigal
dealings with Saddahm and the fact that Iwould be out of Billions of dollars owed to me by Iraq that I would never see because of the ragiem
change.

You got it right. But some in here don't see that...

What i am wondering is...how in the heck do French people stand each other's stink inside an office....they only bath once a month, if they bath at
all....

Maybe that's the way they get high all the time....

I could't have said it better my self.

My question is why they are not more greatful to the US? We did save them in WWI and WWII. I guess I answered my own question.

Uh, the smelly, not arm pit shaving stereotyoe is wrong. None of the french exchange students smelled, all the women shaved their arm pits, and found
out at lease one shaved somewhere else, that is just stereotype.

Also, good for them, tired of the Sun Times and other american tabloids with bat boy and two headed bigfoot.

Originally posted by sensfan
Your racism disgusts me. What if you were to say the same thing about black people? Do you think that would be ok?

Disgusting!

Racism? what are you talking about?...this happens in quite a few European countries, including Spain and France..... i lived in Spain for 10 years
and half of my family is from Spain and still live in Spain...

I still remember when my some of my classmates in Spain would tell me that my skin would disintegrate if i continued taking showers everyday....

I am not lying, it's the truth.

So, i have no idea why you would think I am racist.....

except that maybe you are not aware of this fact. In quite some European countries
people take showers, or bath once a month. They try to hide all the odor by overusing cologne or perfume.

Originally posted by marg6043
At least they claim to be only against the Bush administration and not the American people.

Ummmmm, Marg?
If what you say is true and they are just against the Bush Administration, then why not name the paper: L'Anti-Bush....helllooooo?! This is the
second time someone has directed this notion to you, Marg...no response yet?

Originally posted by marg6043
At least they claim to be only against the Bush administration and not the American people.So what is the big deal I am against the Bush
administration and I am an American, born and raised American.

Marg,

My brother in law is French and has a French partner. We have had long and often heated discussions on a variety of subjects. While Bush seems to have
polarized things, I believe firmly that these attitudes were simmering on to be fair both sides and the Iraq war was the catalyst for them to erupt
mainstream.

While the editor of the magzine claims he is just anti-Bush, but from reports the entire magazine is anti American. I have not seen ti myself, but I
will ask my brother in la to buy it and send it to me. I suspose we will see how strong the anti_Americanism is by how well the magazine does.

Originally posted by marg6043
At least they claim to be only against the Bush administration and not the American people.So what is the big deal I am against the Bush
administration and I am an American, born and raised American.

Marg,

My brother in law is French and has a French partner. We have had long and often heated discussions on a variety of subjects. While Bush seems to have
polarized things, I believe firmly that these attitudes were simmering on to be fair both sides and the Iraq war was the catalyst for them to erupt
mainstream.

While the editor of the magzine claims he is just anti-Bush, but from reports the entire magazine is anti American. I have not seen ti myself, but I
will ask my brother in la to buy it and send it to me. I suspose we will see how strong the anti_Americanism is by how well the magazine does.

bp
You commented on the world wars, and asked why France wasn't more grateful? Probably they were very grateful at the time, and in any case we owe our
very existence as a country to the French. If not for their assistance during the Revolutionary war, we would be a very different place today. Our
flags are the same color, they gave us the Statue of Liberty. Maybe they're just dissapointed this great revolutionary nation let itself be so
easily usurped by a bunch of chemical and energy barons.

Lots of Europeans don't shower as often as Americans, but there is a plus side. They get sick less often because their bodies have to learn to live
with the microorganisms around them. Showering too often, frequent washing of hands, constant anti-biotics, these things wear down the immune system
through a process of atrophy. Don't get on your high horse because you smell pretty, you're more prone to deadly infections.

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
bp
You commented on the world wars, and asked why France wasn't more grateful? Probably they were very grateful at the time, and in any case we owe our
very existence as a country to the French. If not for their assistance during the Revolutionary war, we would be a very different place today. Our
flags are the same color, they gave us the Statue of Liberty. Maybe their just dissapointed this great revolutionary nation let itself be so easily
usurped by a bunch of chemical and energy barons.

Really?....and the French and other European nations are not "a bunch of chemical and energy barons"?.... The French, and other European nations
have done worse than the US... for example the OFF (Oil For Food program) scandal, perhaps you heard of it...

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Lots of Europeans don't shower as often as Americans, but there is a plus side. They get sick less often because their bodies have to learn to live
with the microorganisms around them. Showering too often, frequent washing of hands, constant anti-biotics, these things wear down the immune system
through a process of atrophy. Don't get on your high horse because you smell pretty, you're more prone to deadly infections.

Oh i see...so you are talking from experience....

A plus side to not taking showers regurlarly...oh boy......

Do you even have any idea why the black plague was able to spread throughout Europe so fast, and why it was so deadly?.....

Do you have any idea how many infectious diseases occur?....

Well, you don't seem to know, but perhaps before you start claiming that not taking showers is going to make you immune, or less prone to diseases do
some actual research and maybe you will find out that many diseases are brought by poor hygene among other ways....

First, though the name is "Anti-American" there was a joke in the magazine offering refugee status to "our democrat friends". Its safe to think
of the magazine as "Anti-Bush", I'd say. The only comments I've received since Bush's re-election here in France were concern and fear for the
future of the world.

That said, the thing is called the Anti-Americain, so I thought I would try to break down this grudge the French have against Americans. First, its
not a grudge against Americans at all; its a problem with the importation of American style corporatism. From Mickey Mouse to Ronald McDonald to
CocaCola, and its going to get worse: currently in politics, Chirac (who's politics are moderate right wing) has some unpopular reforms that are
further "Americanizing" the nation's education system and social security. As a student in both systems and a social security holder in both
systems, I agree with the socialists this time: America isn't anyone to take lessons from on these issues.

Wouldn't itirritate most Americans if all those products were imported from (and profitted) say, France? Then let's listen to their music? Then
our kids will dress up like their celebrities, then let's make our school system more like their failing one?!

At least a portion of this tension that exists from the French point of view is totally natural.

So let those situations simmer under the surface for a decade or two, and then here comes Bush. Bush's fighter pilot slash cowboy YEEHAW style
combined with his "foreign policy" and the way his discourse translates into French (you couldn't get out of 2nd grade in France with an essay that
had the word liberty in it 1/3 of as many times as the president's inaugural address) makes him a HUGE target for satire. If anyone over here is
laughing about Bush, its nervously ... most of my French friends are just hoping he doesn't start a worldwide conflict.

Finally, after having a look at that magazine cover, I wanted to point out that its also making a joke because its suggesting that its merely a
response to the outbursts of anti-French remarks in the U.S. The idea that those idiots would dignify a response is hilarious to the French, I
promise. These infamously "Anti-American" French people are all the same Parisiens lining up for the new Woody Allen film, and listening to Outkast
in bars around town.

If you voted Bush, then this magazine's joke is on you. Many people in France and around the world don't like you for what your vote did to the
planet, your own country, and humanity--and they perceive your rationale as either greed, stupidity, or fundamentalism.

If you voted Kerry, or even someone else, or even if you did not vote, print out that magazine and cut out your coupon for political refugee status in
France. Bienvenue. At least that's what the magazine says.

So the French are finally responding to the hate that's been pouring out from some (and before I get crucified, I did say SOME) American commentators
and whatnot. I say, good for them. The thing that some Americans need to understand is that - surprise! - other countries have national pride too! I
know... shocking, isn't it?

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